Chapter three: Rules III

Queen Denville hurriedly fell on her bed and groaned loudly " ha! I've had such an hectic day- what do you think Ciellé" she asked lieing on her side as she stared at Ciellé with interest.

Ciellé looked up with Misty eyes " you have acted poorly, your highness" "hum?" Denville shrieked in dissary and sat up speedily.

" That can't be - I am sure I put her in her place" she grumbled " or was I too lenient?" She asked aloud and waited for a reply desperately.

" Your highness, you shouldn't get on her bad side. All you had to do was act like you cared for her even if you really do not" Ciellé replied and held her hands gently " Royal grand princess Agnes holds high power"

Denville thought for a while and finally shrugged her shoulders " well...I just couldn't pretend. Wait! What about getting on my own bad side" she frowned and raised her shoulders. " She is the king's sister"

" A younger sibling who holds no power except by being graced the opportunity to chose the queen's first dress, which she clearly sulks at"

"Uhm" Ciellé surrendered " she could try to subdue you" she pinned

" Wouldn't that be treason..."

" Your highness!"Ciellé screamed and hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand " watch your tongue, do not use that word".

Denville rolled her eyes ignorantly and pushed Ciellé's hand away" she'll be killed if accounted for" said and suddenly burst into laughter

" Your highness, the Walls have ear" Ciellé begged almost sobbing.

Denville on the other stopped laughing and drew Ciellé's face closer to hers " can I trust you Ciellé?" She asked and Ciellé jaws slightly dropped as she blinked severally.

" Good --- let's meet the ladies then" queen Denville declared and hurried out of her room leaving behind the lady she had thrown into a state of confusion.

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The garden behind the palace was full of rare and beautiful flowers as Northernland was known for its abundant vegetation which is why they are the second richest kingdom in the Empire.

Diverse ladies from different districts that made up Northernland was present at the garden awaiting the queen's arrival as they chattered and battered.

" Hey I'm Salone..... this must be your first time in the palace" a lady with plum features nudged another who was rather thin. The rather thin and nervous maiden nodded slowly and averted her gaze. " Haha... don't worry, I heard the queen's an angel, she'll be gentle with us for sure" she said and smiled broadly. She turned around and tapped another maiden behind them, who had been stylishly overhearing their conversation "haven't we met before in this very palace?".

Beryl whirled around slowly and blinked absentmindedly" yeah we have... I'm Beryl" she said and shifted her gaze on the rather thin maiden." You should Introduce yourself".

After exchanging meaningful glances at the two maidens in front of her, she finally succumbed to revealing her name "I'm Aquila". Salone and Beryl both stared confusingly at her." A-aquila?" Beryl blurted. " Yes, I am Aquila.... I'm a part of the little people" Aquila immediately chipped in and lowered her gaze. Salone pouted her mouth and moved closer to her " hey, you don't have to feel bad....the little people are a part of the Empire as well"

" People who mulch off the Empire's riches" a maiden suddenly interrupted walking into the trio's midst saucily. " I heard the queen's a little people as well" Cyrill, a maiden who always glued next to the saucy maiden said. They both suddenly burst into laughter.

Salone lounged at them furiously"hey you don't have the audacity to talk down on the queen!". Yvonne stepped forward as well "why?.... aren't we more of noble people than her, she's just a girl from the little Easterncoast, who has no family record!" Salone was about slapping her when Beryl held her back " no Salone, people like Yvonne don't need normal human conversations, your beatings infact will only wake the rotten maggots in her." Beryl said dryly and started to move around Yvonne slowly. " I heard your foster parents saw you up on the dung hill, before taking you in ....tsk,tsk,tsk, the dung hill belongs to no noble person" she added and then stopped walking. Yvonne stared at her in silence for some second and then she burst into a graduating laughter" haha...hahaha...hahahahahaha.....look at you, silly Beryl" Beryl cocked her neck and frowned. " I see your love for the queen is so strong that you now run your mouth as it pleases you....then, have you heard of the queen's deformity?" She whispered causing Beryl to daze in confusion

" Haaa...look at that look of yours, you really are unaware that the queen has a deformity with her brain"

" How dare you!" Salone yelled already flaring up. " You do have no shame... how can you say such a thing about the queen?"

" Don't yell at me Salone, do not!....who in this world marries a man in his seventies, while she is in her early twenties, has a proper functioning brain..the queen is a desperate bitch!" Yvonne said icily and stared with no regrets.

"Shut up! ,One more word from you, and I will be sure to feed you your tongue" Salone screamed heaving heavily.

" Whoooaa..I really did have fans and haters" a lady said as she clapped severely while walking up to them. The maidens immediately fell on their knees as Queen Denville made her entrance into the little chaos. " No,no,no, you guys can carry on...you see, I was actually waiting to know the winner in this complex debate, haaaaa...to think I was befitting of your topic... I'm honored" she said and took her seat with a ractus expression plastered broadly on her face.

Yvonne immediately crawled out and knelt at the front on Denville " I deserve to be killed your highness, I have said things that validates my death....but please your highness , I beg of you to spare me" she quivered sweating all over.

" Huh?" Denville exclaimed and jumped to her feet " what are you doing?, Get up and continue the debate...I was starting to roote for you in particular..you know you caught my interest"

" Your highness I beg of you to give your judgement...it is killing me as you keep acting this way, just do something" Yvonne cried shaking visibly. Denville lowered herself to her level and held up her chin " you know what?..I am confused" she said and Yvonne stole a quick glance at her. " I'll gladly re-receive my punishment your highness" she squirmed.

" It is funny how you leave your Queen with choices" Denville said sweetly still holding her Chin. "I dare no...."

" How dare you!" Queen Denville screamed as she tightly squeezed her jaw causing her to wince in pain " how dare you leave me with two choices!.. how dare you look down on me!, I am your queen and so your life belongs to me!, So how dare you a common Mai...." " Have mercy your highness, we all deserve to be killed" the other maidens pleaded as they watched Queen Denville boil in anger, on the verge of destroying Yvonne's mouth.

Queen Denville slowly released Yvonne's chin as she heard the maidens pleas. The got up and walked up to a maiden. " What is your name?" She asked, but the maiden could only shiver in fear. Denville slowly raised the maiden by her shoulder and smiled at her warmly " do not fear me.... I am on your side"

Aquila timidly looked up and bowed " greetings your highness, I am Aquila". Denville nodded and cupped her chin " it is not a bad thing to be a little people, we are in fact not to be blamed...we are just mere victims, so...do not be looked down on by anyone" she said and then turned to look at Yvonne, who was clearly still in pain. " Haaaa....what shall I do with her... Aquila?" Denville asked and aquila immediately fell on her knees " I dare not give the queen choices" she said and Denville hissed childishly " come on aquila, that line isn't meant for you, we are a team, tsk" she looked away for a while and then shrugged her shoulders. " We should probably keep her, shouldn't we?"

" Ye-ye-yes, your.. your hi-high-highness" Aquila stuttered. " Good " Denville said curtly. She faced Ciellé and nodded " I should pick my maidens already " shouldn't we...ta! Shouldn't I... hehehehehe" she then laughed mischievously.

Queen Denville ordered all of them to stand up and line up, she then began to move around. She paused on reaching Beryl and grinned " you" she moved again and touched two other random maidens " you, you". Ciellé kept writing their names down and taking note of their profile when Denville suddenly stopped at the front of a maiden. She grabbed her shoulder and stared menacingly at her " you" , she then picked Salone and Aquila. " There we go..." She said and heaved victoriously. " I leave you to the rest Ciellé.....and, treat the lioness to my private penthouse" she instructed and left the garden.

Ciellé dazed long hard at Yvonne before shaking her head pitifully. She averted her gaze and instructed the maidens. " The chosen maidens will have to take loyalty test before commencing work in the palace....the rest of you will be directed later on, follow me to your quarters silently, while keeping your distance from the palace"" yes ma'am" they all replied and followed Ciellé silently.

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Later that evening, Queen Denville was called upon to take her shower. After she was undressed, she slowly stepped into the bathtub full of milk and flower petals. " Uhmm..I so much needed this" she muttered. Ciellé then began to wash her body looking displeased. Queen Denville noticed and then sighed. " What now, Ciellé?". Ciellé just kept doing her job.

" You should tell me what makes you displeased with me" she added stopping her from washing her body. " Your highness" Ciellé began slowly. " I can understand that you have a very..uhm..unique personality, but don't you think chosing Cyrill as one of your court maidens is ..." She paused and looked away. " Unwise?" Denville completed . " Her highness is not unwise, the decision is...we clearly heard what she and Yvonne said about you while we were in hiding behind the trees....they are clearly against your reign" Ciellé said rather loud this time. Denville sighed and then stiffened a smile " you even keep Yvonne in your penthouse!", Ciellé added almost sobbing.

" You know Ciellé, my grand mother would always tell me this, if you want to survive in a place where you are only loved by your shadow, then you have to keep your enemies by your side, eat with them, chat with them, drink with them, sleep with them, kill them, save them" she said and then finally laughed. " You shouldn't worry about me,....you should worry about answering the question I asked you earlier" she added and focused her gaze on Ciellé's face.

" Your highness..."

" It is okay if you cannot give your answer now..... I'll be waiting for it" she said and got out of the bathtub " I should get some sleep" she added and walked out of the inner chamber. Ciellé watched her as she walked out, she sighed and began to chew her lip. ' Who are you really, your highness', she thought and then cleared the bathtub.